Always and Forever
by shadowingedwolf
Summary: Some promises last while others are lost. Memories forever stay, though, standing side by side with other memories. A rainy birthday doesn't stop two hearts from finding each other.[ Edward X Winry ][ Short Story ]


Rain pattered against the glass of a small window, sending light tapping sounds through the quiet home. A gentle sigh escaped through parted lips, blue orbs locked ahead, never looking away from the dark country road leading up to the house. Turning her head to look down at the dog laying his head on her lap, the teenager let a small, weak smile spread over her lips.

"Well," she began, lightly petting the dog's head, "guess it's just us again this year." He whined gently, giving a bark in return causing her to laugh lightly. "Yeah, you're right."

Dark clouds spread over the sky, casting a long, black shadow over the small town of Risembool. A figure stood alone in the middle of the dirt road, though he remained still. His head was bowed, eyes clenched shut with golden bangs casting a shadow over his face. Slowly, amber orbs opened halfway, letting him stare at his feet. His gaze wandered up slightly to his hand where his grasp tightened around the object in his fist. A small smile spread over his lips, and the teenager raised his head up, looking at the small building resting ahead of him at the end of the long road.

Another sigh was given, followed by the dog's quiet yawn. Laughing lightly, the teen stood up slowly. "Come on," she called to the dog, causing him to climb onto his feet. "Let's get some rest." She turned to walk away from her seat by the window, only to pause to glance outside a last time. Shaking her head gently to herself, she slowly walked to the fireplace to extinguish the dieing fire. But before she did, something caught her eye. Reaching up to the mantle, she took the object into her hands, staring down at the framed picture of two young children standing next to one another. The girl looked angry, yelling at the seemingly annoyed boy of whom was attempting to ignore the yells of the girl.

Tears slowly gathered in her eyes, the female slowly shaking her head at the memories. "Ed, you idiot," she said to herself. "I thought you promised … promised to always be with me." She was silent before softly saying, "I hate you, you idiot."

A sudden thump caused her small amount of anger to quickly diminish. Turning to look at the door, she set the picture down, silently walking to the source of the noise. As she opened the door, shock quickly enveloped her. "E-Ed…?" she stuttered, seeing the male, of whom had been walking away, turn around to face her.

"Heh. I'm sorry," he said slowly, turning his gaze to the ground. She was about to ask what he meant but he cut her off. "I'm sorry that you feel that way, Winry."

Slowly, the female, known as Winry, slowly looked the soaking male over. Her eyes landed on the bouquet of flowers clenched in his hand. It was then that she realized his motives.

"I guess," Ed began to say slowly, "I'm unwanted, here." He turned around, slowly beginning to walk away once again.

Seconds flew by, the distance between them growing vastly. Reality struck Winry quickly, causing her to yell out the male's name. Her legs pushed forward, letting her run out into the rain. Ed stopped, turning around to watch her run up to him. He was silent, staring at her as she stared at him in return.

"I…" She paused, searching for the right words to say. "I'm sorry," she finally said, gaze dropping to the ground. Rain continued falling from the dark sky, soaking the two to the bone.

_"You're so stupid, you know that!?"_

_Anger caused the young girl's face to redden, eyes sending a sharp glare at the boy beside her._

_"Yeah, yeah. I know," the boy muttered, amber orbs turned away from her._

_The girl huffed, puffing out her cheeks as her hands rested on her hips. Grabbing another bandage, she roughly slapped it onto his cheek._

_"Next time you decide to climb a tree, make sure you can actually get down," she told him. "__Without__ hurting yourself!"_

_Silence hung in the air, only the sounds of the wind brushing through the plants around them and the slamming of the small medical box the girl had brought with her could be heard._

_"Here."_

_Blinking, the girl stopped, turning her head to face the boy. His head was still turned away from her, but his arm was out stretched to her, a small flower resting between his fingers. She look at the tree planted behind them at the top of the hill they were sitting on. The same flower could be seen through the leaves of the tree._

Grabbing her hand, Ed suddenly pulled her forward toward him, earning a gasp on her behalf. He wrapped an arm around her waist, his other hand resting on the back of her head.

"No," he said slowly, eyes dull with sorry. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. " His words caused her shock to grow, though a smile broke out across her lips as he continued speaking. "I haven't kept my promise, have I? Heh, how stupid of me."

_She looked back at him, a smile spreading over her lips._

_"So _that's_ what you were doing…"_

_His blush darkened slightly as she figured it out, though he brushed it off quickly, yelling, "J-Just take it!"_

_Smiling, she took the flower, standing quietly afterward and staring at it. The boy slowly turned his head toward her, curious of the reason she was quiet, though he stopped as a kiss was placed on his cheek. His eyes widened sharply and he look at her smiling face as she sat quietly next to him._

_"Thanks, Ed."_

Winry shook her head, pulling back to look him in the eyes. "Ed, it's fine! I know you've been busy getting yours and Al's bodies back, so it's fine. Besides, we were kids back then and – " Her words were cut off when she was pulled forward yet again, though this time her lips were pressed against another's. She stood in shock, blue orbs wide yet again with surprise. Resistance slowly melted away as her eyes closed, a warm feeling washing over her.

This feeling blossomed, taking over all others inside her. _What was this feeling?_

They pulled away moments later, though their closeness stayed the same. Ed leaned his forehead against Winry's, opening his eyes to stare into her own. Smiling gently, he said quietly, "Happy Birthday, Win."

Tears streamed down her cheeks and Winry hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Ed!"

Resting his hand on the back of her head as she cried on his shoulder, he leaned his head against hers slightly. They stood together in the rain, smiles covering each of their faces.

_Slowly, he let a smile of his own spread over his lips, though a light blush could still be found on his cheeks._

_"Heh, no problem."_

_They both looked forward ahead of them at the setting sun. Sighing gently, the girl laid her head on his shoulder, causing Ed's eyes to widen slightly. He turned his head to look at her, a smile returning to his features. Turning to look at the beautifully painted sky, he gently laid his head atop hers._

_"Ed," questioned the child's voice. "Can I ask you something?"_

_"Sure," the boy replied, keeping his position._

_"Can you promise … Can you promise me that we'll always be together?"_

_He was silent for a moment before the answer came. "I promise … Winry."_

Steam blew from the train's engine, a whistle sounding out to signify the train's upcoming departure. People bustled around, trying to make their own way through the crowd to catch their train. In the middle of the crowd they stood silently across from each other.

"Do you really have to go?" Winry asked slowly, bringing her gaze up from the ground to look at him.

"Yeah," Ed answered simply, though sorrow could also be found in his voice. Raising his head slightly, he gave a weak smile in return to Winry's own small smile.

Silence hung around the two once again, another whistle blown at the same time. "Well, uh…" She looked back down at the floor, continuing with her words. "I hope … you get your bodies back."

A sigh was Ed's quiet answer. "Winry," he said, causing her to look up at him. His eyes were turned away from her, even though his head was still facing her. "I know you're think that I'm breaking my promise again." She was about to interrupt but he stopped her. "But I can tell you that you're wrong."

"What?"

"As corny as it may sound … I'm always with you, even if you can't see me." Ed sighed once again. He shoved a hand into his pocket, and without saying anything, he pointed with his other hand to her heart, a small blush cast over his cheeks.

Blinking, Winry slowly raised a hand to lay it over her heart. A smile crossed over her features and she slowly nodded her head. " Always? Promise?"

He nodded as his reply, digging his other hand into his pocket. "Always and Forever."

Another whistle made them wince slightly. Gathering her courage, Winry took a step forward, leaning over to gently place a kiss on the teenager's cheek.

Ed cleared his voice, head bowed so his blush was hidden from view. "See ya, Win," he said, raising his hand to wave slightly.

A smile spread over her features as she stood watching the blond male climb onto the train. For all she knew, this could very well be the last time she saw him. But deep in her heart, she knew that was wrong. Trembling fingers slowly reached up, gently tracing her lips. Her smile grew slightly at her thoughts. With a loud whistle, the train slowly made its descent out of the station, taking the two friends far apart.

No; Winry knew they were no longer friends. Turning around, she began her walk home, though she paused once outside to gaze up at the clear sky. Her gaze was turned forward again, smile growing wider as she continued on her way. Thoughts of the past day's events jumbled in her head. That feeling…

… _it was love._


End file.
